1. Field
The present general inventive concept relates to a user terminal apparatus and a method of controlling thereof, and more specifically, to a user terminal apparatus that can connect to an image forming apparatus, and a method of controlling the user terminal apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus operates to print out print data generated at a user terminal apparatus, such as a computer, onto a printing material. Examples of the image forming apparatus includes a copying machine, a printer, a scanner, a facsimile, or a multi function peripheral (MFP) implementing as one apparatus a combination of functions of the copy machine, the printer, the scanner, and the facsimile.
The image forming apparatus can perform jobs of printing, scanning, and faxing, according to a control of a user terminal apparatus.
Meanwhile, the user terminal apparatus is driven by an operating system (O/S). O/S is a main part of system software and classes of programs providing an interface so that a user can utilize the user terminal apparatus more easily.
One O/S of a user terminal apparatus, Windows 8™ of Microsoft is a hybrid O/S that supports different types of a plurality of user interfaces (UI) to each other. Windows 8™ supports desktop style UI (or desktop UI) which is basically used from initial Windows to Windows 7™ and new graphic user interface which is metro style UI (or metro UI, Windows 8 Style UI, tile-type UI).
Windows 8™ can access apps and contents more conveniently in a tablet and a smart phone as well as a personal computer by supporting a metro style UI, i.e., a new graphic user interface and providing interface optimized for touch.
However, a metro style UI environment of Windows 8™ may have several limitations in controlling an image forming apparatus, unlike in a conventional desktop UI environment.
Specifically, because bulk channel communication of USB at Windows 8™ is limited, both the desktop style UI environment and the metro style UI environment may not be scanned with a universal serial bus (USB). Further, even if using network, because the metro style environment does not support a standard software interface to use image scanners such as Window Image Acquisition (WIA) and Technology Without Any Interested Name (TWAIN), the metro style UI environment of Windows 8™ does not basically provide a scan function.
Since a metro style UI environment of Windows 8™ does not have attributes to capture an IP address necessary to communicate with an image forming apparatus connected via a network or Application Program Interface (API), a scan function is not basically provided.
Meanwhile, information regarding port names and model names to be used to connect an image forming apparatus to a user terminal apparatus can be obtained with a printer spooler. However, port names may be modified by the user voluntarily, which is difficult to use as it is. Thus, a method of getting IP address of an image forming apparatus is requested.
Further, informing status errors of an image forming apparatus has limitations in a metro style UI environment of Windows 8™. A background program cannot be implemented on Windows 8™, and an informing event of status errors cannot be received. In this case, Windows 8™ creates an event to display a status error via a printer driver. However, Windows 8™ compares each status only with EqualTo, NotEqualTo, GreaterThan, and LessThan, and thus, has limitations in which it cannot provide status information on various conditions, or which cannot provide status information through a conventionally used interface.
Further, in a metro style UI environment of Windows 8™, a user can enter a background screen of an O/S at any time. Thus, if a user implements jobs of an image forming apparatus and exits corresponding application, he cannot a check job processing status of an image forming apparatus on a background screen of the O/S. In addition, if a plurality of image forming apparatuses is connected together, and if many job options should be established, a user feels inconvenience because he needs to implement a corresponding application, select an image forming apparatus to implement job, and establish respective job options.